Electric circular loom



Nov. 8, 1949 Y. LATIEULE ETAL 2,437,148

ELECTRIC CIRCULAR LOOM Filed om. 25, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTDHE Yves Lotieulo, LouimClocho ATTORNEY Nov. 8, 1949 Y. LATIEULE ETAL ELECTRIC CIRCULAR LOOM 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 25, 1945 INVENTORS Yves Lofleule, Louis Cloche and Henri Brlco g4q4 ATTORNEY Nov. 8, 1949 Y. LATIEULE EI'AL 2,437,148

ELECTRIC CIRCULAR LOOM Filed Oct. 25, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Park France, assignors to Comptoir Linier,

Paris, France, a society of France Application October 25, 1945, Serial No. 624,424 In France June 13, 1945 4 Claims. (Cl. 139-13) 1 The present invention relates to electric circular looms of the kind used for the weaving of tubular fabrics (bags, tubes, braidings, fringed fabrics or large width fabrics) and in which the control or operation of the essential elements, such as the loom main shaft, theshuttle or shuttles, the heddles, and also the braking or signalling means, is obtained through electric means.

The object of the present invention is to provide a loom of this type which occupies but little space in the horizontal direction, the automatic working of which is continuous and consequently fast and smooth, and which is easy to control.

Other objects of our invention will result from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, given merely by way of. example, and in which:

Figs. 1A and 1B are an axial vertical section of a loom according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal half-section on the line II-II of Fig. 1, some parts being not shown;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 1III]I of P18. 1;

F18. 4 shows on an enlarged scale and in section a detail concerning the construction and control of the heddles;

Fig. 5 shows, on a still larger scale and also in section a portion of the structure of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an elevational view on a smaller scale showing the arrangement of the loom in a factory.

The frame I of the loom carries a plate 2 at the center of which is provided a pillar 3 supporting a horizontal platform 4. On the periphery of said plate 2 is mounted a fixed circular frame 5 the axis of which coincides with that of pillar 3. The periphery of platform 4 and the upper edge of frame 5 are close to each other and leave between them an annular space 6. On either side of this annular space are provided; on the above mentioned flxed parts 4 and 5, annular elements I and 3 including roller tracks for shuttles 9 and 9 These annular elements I and 8 are made of a non-magnetic metal and preferably constituted by the assembly of a plurality of portions, so as to be easily taken to pieces and replaced in case of wear and tear or of accident. In these annular elements I and 8 are provided as many radial slots 7 and 8, in register with one another, as there are warp threads.

On fixed pillar 3 is mounted a sleeve I0 which bears thereon through a double thrust bearing I I and two roller bearings I2 and I3. This sleeve or shaft i0 is driven by an electric motor 14 through 2 an intermediate shaft I6 and speed reducing gear transmissions I6 and I6". Sleeve I ll carries two pairs of radial arms I! adapted respectively to support two electro-magnets I8 and I8, for instance having two branches, the arrangement being such that the polar ends of said electro-magnets are located in the annular interval 6 above referred to. Electric current is supplied to these electro-magnets through wires I9 and I9 passing through central pillar 3 and leading to terminals 20 and 20 provided with brushes cooperating with concentric rings 2I and 2| carried by sleeve I0 and respectively connected to the terminals of said two electro-magnets I8 and Ill.

The warp threads 29 are fed, at the lower part of frame I, from spools 22 freely engaged on spindles carried by boards 22 provided at the bottom of frame I. These threads might also be fed from warp beams distributed about this portion of the frame.

The warp threads of each row of spools 22 are driven by means of a driving roller 23, covered with rubber, and of a bearing roller 24-, also covered with rubber and supported by a spindle 24 carried by arms 24* rigid with frame I, said spindle being urged by an adjustable spring 24 (Fig. 3) in a direction such that roller 24 is applied, with an adjustable pressure, against driving roller 23,

These driving rollers 23 are actuated, by pairs, from the intermediate shaft I6 which, for this purpose, extends downwardly. This vertical shaft carries a worm 25 which drives, in opposite directions respectively, two worm wheels mounted respectively on horizontal shafts 2B and 215 which actuate, through chain transmissions 21 and 21 or equivalent means, two parallel rollers 23, these rollers being in turn connected with the two other rollers 23 that are perpendicular to them through a bevel gear wheel transmission 28 28".

All the warp threads are therefore driven simultaneously. Spools or bobbins 22 are easily accessible which facilitates their feed, since their positive unwinding permits of replacing them without having to stop the loom. As the bobbin boards or equivalent means are located close to the lateral walls of the frame, the space occupied by the whole in the horizontal direction is reduced to a minimum.

Upon leaving driving rollers 23, the warp threads 29 move upwardly along frame I, being guided by flexible wound metallic wires 30 provided at suitable points of the m. When the warp threads come to the level of the shuttles 9 and 9, they are caused to converge toward the axis of the loom, forming two frusto-conical sheets having their apices on said axis and the respective elements 29 and 29 of which are engaged in vertical heddles moving with a reciprocating motion in the usual way.

The warp threads, after passing through said heddles, pass through the slots of a circular guiding comb 3| fixed to the upper edge of frame 5 and electrically insulated from the remainder of the loom.

The heddles 32 and 32 are distributed about circular frame 5 in two rows. The ends of the metallic wires which constitute each of these heddles are fixed to small plates 33 slightly bent into arcuate shape. These plates are themselves supported (see Figs. 1 and 4) by pairs of cables 34 and 34 through which the corresponding heddles are interconnected. These cables pass respectively about double pulleys 35 and 35 the diameter of which determines the interval between corresponding heddles. These pulleys are respectively mounted on spindles 36 and 36 freely engaged in forked supports 31 and 3! fixed to frame I. Advantageously adjustable springs 38 are interposed between the upper supports 31 and the frame.

The two lower cables 34 of each pair of heddles are connected together. at a suitable point, by a transverse shaft 39 (Figs. 4 and 5), each cable being, for instance, engaged in a radial slot 40 provided in the correspondin end of said shaft and driven into a central notch 4! provided at the bottom of said slot by the point of a screw 42 screwed in the sides of said slot.

On shaft 39 is freely engaged a sleeve 43 carried by the end of a lever 44 pivoted about a horizontal axis 45 carried by a bearing 46 provided on plate 2 so that the plane in which lever 44 is movable is a vertical and radial plane with respect to the loom. Each lever 44 passes through an aperture 41 provided in circular frame 5.

The oscillating movement of each lever 44 is obtained through the intermediate of an annular cam 48 made rigid with sleeve l and the shape of which is that of an elongated sinusoid (as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1). The upper and lower faces of this cam serve respectively to the guiding of two rollers 49 and 49 carried by a slide piece 50, guided by a vertical rod and to which is pivotally connected the inner end 52 of lever 44 through the intermediate of a spindle 55 mounted in a forked support 53. The latter is rigid with a plunger piston 54 freely engaged in the tubular end 52 of lever 44.

Through the cooperation of cam 48 with levers 44, we successively obtain the opening in one direction of warp thread sheets 29 and 29 their displacements in opposite directions and their opening in the opposite direction, these movements taking place successively in a continuous manner in accordance with the circular movement of the shuttles. For this purpose, we provide, about the axis of the loom, a plurality of levers 44 corresponding respectively to the groups of pairs of heddles 32 and 32 disposed along a circumference concentric with the axis of the loom,

In the example that is considered, we make use of two shuttles 9 and 9 We might of course make use of any number of shuttles provided that their combination ensures a static and dynamic balancing of the loom.

Each shuttle is in the form of a carriage supported vertically by two pairs of wheels 56 and 51 provided with rubber tires. The body of the shuttle is made of a light and non-magnetic metal, for instance aluminium, an aluminium alloy or a moulded material, and it is provided. at each end thereof, with a magnetic mass or armature 58 58*, intended to cooperate with the corresponding pole of the electro-magnet including two branches l8 and It! for closing the magnetic circuit at the respective ends of the shuttle, so as to ensure a stable running thereof.

The pair of wheels 56 and 51 run respectively along annular tracks I and 8 provided on annular elements I and 8 disposed on either side of the interval 6 in which the polar parts of electro-magnets I8 and I8 are moving. In orderto compensate for the action of the centrifugal force, each shuttle is provided with two rollers 59 and 59 substantially parallel to the lower sheet of threads 29*, which run along the inner face of annular element 1, which face is substantially perpendicular to said sheet.

The pirn may be made in any suitable manner, for instance as usual. However, it is ad- Vantageous to make use of the following arrangement, which constitutes one of the features of our invention:

The shuttle is provided with a lid 60 so as wholly to surround the spool housed therein, the assembly of the two above mentioned parts, to wit the shuttle and its lid, being in the form of a portion of a tore.

The shuttles are driven, in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 2) by the electro-magnets located below the lower sheet 29 of warp threads, and the weft thread is automatically applied against the upper and lower sheets of warp threads along the circular line toward which both of these sheets converge. In order to guide the fabric as it is being formed, we provide an external bevelled annular member 6| and an inner cylindrical part 62, mounted concentrically to each other on fixed parts of frame I, with an interval of some millimeters provided between BI and 62.

The fabric is received at the top of the loom, the tube 63 formed by said fabric being pulled upwardly by passage between two cylinders 64 and 65, covered with rubber, and one of which, 64,

is driven from the bottom of the machine through a substantially vertical shaft 66 actuated through conical gears 61 by the driving means 28 of two driving rollers 23 (Fig. 3). Shaft 66 drives cylinder 64 through suitable bevel gears. An endless conveyor belt 69 then brings the fabric to the place where it is to be utilized.

In order to permit of stopping the loom independently of the feed of its driving motor l4, we provide on a rotary piece of said loom, preferably intermediate shaft I6, an electro-magnetic brake I0 (Fig. 1) which tends to be applied by the action of a spring and released by an electro-magnet H fed by means of wires 12 branched on those 13 which lead to motor i 4. Advantageousiy, the loom is provided with a lubricating conduit 16 and an oil pump (not shown) which permit simultaneous lubrication of all the parts to be lubricated.

Fig. 6 shows, in diagramm atic vertical section, a three-storied factory which may include several looms as above described, disposed side by side (the drawing shows only one of these looms). The bottom story, where are located the bobbins, such as 22, or the warp beams, is fed with warp threads through suitable means, such as a carriage 14. It corresponds to the lowest portion A of the loom. The intermediate story, which contains the main part B of the loom, is provided with means for feeding spools for the shuttles,

for instance a carriage been manufactured is received at C, at the upper story and removed by conveyor 69 to the places where it is to be utilized, after being out either transversely or longitudinally, according to the needs.

The advantages of the loom according to the invention, as above described, are chiefly the following:

The space occupied in the longitudinal direction is relatively small.

The loom works quickly and smoothly and the shuttle or shuttles move at high speed and in a stable manner between the warp threads.

The weft spools can easily be inserted in the shuttles, for replacement.

1:. The fabric that has As the shuttles are driven from below the lower practically continuous manner.

While we have, in the above description, disclosed what we deem to be practical and ellicient embodiments of the present invention, it should be well understood that we do not wish to be limited thereto as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition and form of the parts without departing from the principle of the present invention as comprehended within the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. An electric circular loom which comprises, in combination, means for forming two superposed sheets of warp threads extending radially from a vertical axis to constitute a horizontal shed, a shuttle, means for guiding said shuttle along a circular path located between said sheets and having its center on said axis, and means, including at least one vertical electro-magnet running along a circular path coaxial with said first mentioned circular path and located under the lower sheet of warp threads, for driving said shuttle along its path of travel.

2. An electric circular loom which comprises, in combination, means for forming two superposed sheets of warp threads extending radially from a vertical axis to constitute a horizontal shed, a shuttle, means for guiding said shuttle I 3. An electric circular loom which comprises, in combination, a frame having a vertical axis of symmetry, means forming two superposed sheets of warp threads extending radially with respect to said axis to constitute a horizontal shed, a circular horizontal track disposed coaxially with said frame between said two sheets of warp threads, a shuttle adapted to run along said track, means, including at least one vertical electromagnet running along a circular path coaxial with said track and located under the lower sheet of warp threads, for driving said shuttle alon said track, a circular track rigid with the first mentioned track and substantially perpendicular to the lower sheet of warp threads and a wheel carried by said shuttle adapted to run along said second mentioned track for opposing the effects of the centrifugal force on said shuttle.

4. An electric circular loom which comprises, in combination, a frame having a vertical axis of symmetry, means forming two superposed sheets of warp threads extending radially with respect to said axis to constitute a horizontal shed, a circular horizontal track disposed coaxially with said frame between said two' sheets of warp threads, a shuttle adapted to run along said track, at least one vertical electro-m'agnet adapted to cooperate with said shuttle, means for guiding said electro-magnet along a circular path extending under the lower sheet of warp threads directly under said track, means for moving said electro-magnet along said circular path, a circular track rigid with the first mentioned track and substantially perpendicular to the lower sheet of warp threads and a wheel carried by said shuttle adapted to run along said second mentioned track for opposing the effects of the centrifugal force on said shuttle.

YVES LATIEULE. LOUIS CLOCHE. HENRI BRICOUT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 574,799 Germany Apr. 20, 1933 

